The technology group Wartsila and Saudi Arabia-based Najran Cement Company continue their co-operation by renewing the three-year asset management agreement for Najran Cement Company’s installations in Sultana and Akfah in Saudi Arabia. Wärtsilä will continue to ensure the environmental sustainability of the power plants and to guarantee the reliability and availability of their operations. The agreement was signed in December 2017 and it is the second time the agreement is renewed, with the original agreement signed in 2008.
Under the agreement, Wärtsilä will be responsible for operating and maintaining Najran Cement Factory’s power plants, including their day-to-day operation, preventive and predictive maintenance as well as ensuring their compliance with environmental requirements. The operations of the two power plants will be remotely monitored from a Wärtsilä Expertise Centre in Dubai for real-time data gathering and analysis. Wärtsilä also provides a dedicated on-site operation and maintenance team which will optimise the operations and maintain the power plant and thus enhance its availability and reliability.
“At Najran Cement Company, we consider the preservation of the environment to be of utmost importance and want to ensure that our factory is equipped with the latest, environmentally sustainable technologies for reducing emissions. The continuation of this asset management agreement with Wärtsilä ensures that our facilities are operated and maintained in a safe, reliable, and environmentally sustainable way,” says Mr Badr Johar, President of Najran Cement Company. “By transferring the operational reliability of our installation to Wärtsilä, we can focus on our core business, which is providing our customer with cement products and related services that exceed their expectations,” Badr continues.
Managing total lifecycle costs with tailor-made operating profiles
To ensure the competitiveness of Najran Cement Company, Wärtsilä created different operating profiles for running the power plants. “In order to reduce their operating costs, Najran Cement Company needed three different operating profiles based on their power load demands. We were able to meet their needs and create these tailor-made profiles that are based on the number of engines in use. This optimises the fuel consumption and reduces their operating costs,” says Seppo Hautajoki, Wärtsilä Services Unit Director in Middle East.
The main power plant in Sulta is a 70 MW base load power plant equipped with ten Wärtsilä 32 engines, while the 19 MW power plant in the grinding unit in Akfah is equipped with three Wärtsilä 32 engines.
Wärtsilä has a strong market position in providing energy for Saudi Arabia’s cement works. At the moment, approximately 70 per cent of country’s cement manufacturing facilities are powered by Wärtsilä’s power plants.